Multiple propeller drive



y 5, 1949. N. c. MIMOPOULOS MULTIPLE PROPELLER DRIVE Filed Feb. 7, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. NICHOLAS C.Mmo oul as y 1949. N. c. MIMOPOULOS 2,474,855

MULTIPLE PROPELLER DRIVE I Filed Feb. 7, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Mal/01.45 C- MMoffl/lds h'ls ATTX Patented July 5, 1949 UNITED STATES NT OFFICE.

2 Claims.

This invention relates to ships, and has for one of its objects the production of a simple and efficient ship which is so constructed as to greatly increase the speed of the ship, as well as to increase the safety and maneuverability thereof.

A further cb'ect of this invention is the production of a ship, the bottom of which is serrated, arranged in a series of step-like formations having transversely extending vertical and rearwardly and downwardly inclined walls to provide recesses for receiving driving propellers for the ship.

Another object of this invention is the production of a simple and efficient ship having a fiat bottom and tapering sides which converge at the top of the ship, the tapering sides protecting the ship from aerial attack by providing projectile deflecting means upon the top of the ship.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear throughout the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan View of the ship, certain parts being broken away;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view partly in section;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line t4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view;

Figure 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional View of a portion of the ship, certain parts being shown in elevation;

Figure '7 is an enlarged horizontal sectional View taken on line 'l-l of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective View of a portion of the hull of the ship; and

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional View of a modified form of the side wall construction of the ship.

By referring to the drawings, it will be seen that ii) designates the hull of the ship which is provided with a stem H and stern I2. The hull it is provided with an understructure it which contains a fuel tank or tanks Id extending longitudinally through the center of the hull Ill, and upon either side of the tank or tanks M are located Diesel engines Hi for driving the propellers 29. Machine shops and other work shops are also located in this understructure l 3.

A niidstructure ll is located above the understructure it and constitutes a cargo space, the bottom of the midstructure being the light water line and the top of the midstructure being the load water line (flotation plane) The superstructure IE is located above the midstructure and contains the living quarters of the crew and passengers, the recreational, hospital, and other facilities.

The top structure is located above the superstructure it. and contains the administrative quarters, kitchens, dining rooms, recreationalfalife boats, defensive and ofiensive arms and the like. While the" ridge l9v of the roof is shown as a straight line, it should be understood that this ridge it! may be formed on the arc of a circle, curved or shaped to a desired conformation.

As shown Figure 4, it will be noted that the sides 285 of the ship are inclined toward the ridge it from the transversely extending horizontal bottom El, thereby defining a hull which is double wedge-shaped in cross-sectional area from its horizontal bottom 2| to the ridge 19. The sides at are preferably inclined at an angle of 73". This inclination will tend to protect the ship from aerial attack by deflecting projectiles dropped thereon.

The sides of the ship may be built with a double wall or a triple wall, as indicated at 22' in Figure 9, the walls being spaced to provide open areas therebetween. These areas, from the bottom to the load water line only, may be used for storage of extra fuel oil or any other kind of useful liquid. The ship may be partitioned horizontally, as at 23, to provide any desired number of parts or suitable compartments for various purposes above described. The ship may be divided into equal halves by means of a central partition wall 24 extending longitudinally from stem to stern and. vertically from. keel to deck. The fuel tanks it, as shown in Figure 4, are located'upon opposite sides of the central partition wall- 24w. These halves are designated as the rightv side and the left sidesee Figure 2.

In order to accomplish greater speed, which is one of the mainv objects of the invention, the fioor or bottom of the understructure I 3 is serrated, shaped in such a manner as to allow the installation and unobstructed operation of many propellers, as shown in Figures 3' and 5. This understructure isbuit in sections or cells-,the. sections to the right of the center being designated. as 24, and the left section as 25. The respectiv right and left sections are arranged in transverse align rnent. It is advisable that each cell or section be independent from. the adjacent ones, that is, completely separated and closed. These cells may be provided with doors, bulkheads, etc. to fur- .nish communication longitudinally as well as laterally and also with the midstructure of the 3 ship. Any suitable emergency exit may be provided and the cells may constitute floodable compartments to insure greater safety.

The bottom 2| of the ship is provided with a plurality of indentations, as at 26, throughout the length of the ship from stem to stem, these indentations extending transversely of the bottom, from side to side of the ship. Each indentation 26 is provided with a vertical wall 21 and a rearwardly and downwardly inclined wall 28 extending to the bottom end of the vertical wall 27 of the next rearwardly located indentation 26. These indentations 26 and 26 extend from a point at the rear of the forward sections or cells 24 and 25 to the stern of the ship and across the entire transverse area of the bottom of the ship.

Tapering screw propellers 29 are carried within these indentations or recesses 26. These propellers extend longitudinally of the recesses 26 and parallel to the inclined walls 28 thereof, as shown in Figures 3, 5, 6 and '7. As shown in Figure 5, the propellers 29 are arranged upon the bottom of the ship in transverse rows within the indentations 26 and increase in nmuber from two or more at the stem and stern to sixteen or more amidship. These propellers 29 are fitted in the indentations 26 with their large ends adjacent the vertical walls 2'! of the recesses 26 and the tapered extremities of the propellers are suspended from and journaled upon the hangers 30. The hangers 30 are suspended from the vertical walls of the next succeeding indentations. Each propeller 29 is perferably operated by a separate Diesel engine or other driving mechanism which may be controlled from any desired location in the ship.

When actually constructing the ship, the propellers are preferably spaced laterally about four feet apart, two propellers being located in the first indentation, six in #2 indentation, ten in #3 indentation, and so forth, until the number becomes sixteen toward. midship. It is preferable to employ 344 propellers in the type of ship illustrated.

Since the structure of the ship is in the form of a double wedge of equal proportions, the number and positions of the cells are in perfect balance in the fore-body and after-body, as well as in the right and left side of the ship. Longitudinally, the 344 propellers are in parallel rows so that their combined activity will result in parallel forces of propulsion. Each propeller is preferably metallic, carried by a metallic shaft in the form of a screw, and is preferably twenty feet long. Each screw propeller is about twelve inches in diameter at its head and tapers to about four inches in diameter at its rear end which rear end is supported, as at 30, to reduce vibration to the minimum.

As stated above, each propeller 29 is operated by a separate Diesel engine or other driving mechanism so that its action may be independently controlled. When all of the propellers are in action, there will be a multiplicity (16 or more) of principal streams and many secondary ones rushing in parallel lines from stem to stern at an inclined angle of approximately 7 degrees to the bottom of the understructure. This inclination will avoid friction and will tend to push the ship upwardly, thereby facilitating salvaging operations when necessary.

The ship may be provided with any suitable number of holds on each side of the center thereof and these holds of the midstructure will correspond to the cells of the understructurenote Figure 3. Each hold is independent from its adjacent one and is completely separated and closed as stated above, as well as being connected with the adjacent ones laterally and longitudinally.

These holds are also connected with the understructure and the superstructure of the ship by bulkheads. They are floodable compartments.

As shown in Figure 4 the superstructure is divided into two areas by the central partition wall and the purpose thereof is to duplicate the living quarters of the crew and passengers, the recreation, hospital, and other facilities of the modern ship, so that if one division is fiooded or otherwise rendered unusable, the life activities of the ship may be carried on in the other area. Each area or division is independent from the other, is completely separate and closed as explained above, and is comiected with the other division as well as with the midstructure and the top structure of the ship by bulkheads and watertight lids for emergency exit, loading and unloading operations, etc. These divisions are floodable compartments.

The top structure is completely covered by the sides of the ship as shown, and this top structure is provided with watertight doors and windows for ventilation, lighting, loading and unloading, as well as for defense, offense, and other purposes. The top structure may be connected with the superstructure by bulkheads and watertight lids. When the ship is loaded to capacity, its deck will be preferably about ten feet above water so that the ship will expose only an area of about thirty feet wide of its superstructure and top structure. This will render the ship less vulnerable to attack. Because of the structure of the ship, greater speed and maneuverability are obtained, which will add to its safety from attack, either by submarine, aircraft, or other enemy action.

From the foregoing its should be understood that the ship, because of its shape and acquired power, will possess more stability as well as speed, and that the propellers by being mounted in the 45 manner illustrated and described will be shielded and protected, and at the same time may be selectively driven to maneuver the ship with greater facility, thereby permitting the ship to quickly turn or to follow a zig-zag line with rapid course- 50 altering ability.

By noting Figure 6, it will be seen that the bottom extremities of all of the recesses or indentations are in longitudinal alignment and terminate on an imaginary line A extending longitudinally 55 of the ship. In this way, the propellers will all be shielded or protected from injury by foreign objects, since these propellers and no parts thereof extend below the lower extremity of the ship, but are inset as shown.

It should be noted that certain detail changes may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, so long as such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed 65 as new is:

1. A ship of the class described comprising a hull having a bottom extending transversely in a substantially horizontal plane, said bottom having a plurality of successive indentations formed 70 therein and extending from side to side entirely across said bottom, each indentation being defined by a vertical wall extending inwardly of the hull, and a downwardly and rearwardly inclined wall extending from a selected point on the ver- 75 tical wall of one indentation to the outer end of the vertical wall of the next succeeding indentation, a plurality of parallel propellers extending longitudinally of each indentation, the propellers being arranged in groups in the indentations and the number of propellers in each group progressively decreasing from amidship toward the stem and stern of the hull.

2. A ship of the class described comprising a hull having a transversely serrated bottom providing successive propeller-receiving recesses, each recess having a forward vertical wall and a rearwardly extending downwardly inclined wall extending entirely across the hull from side to side, propellers extending longitudinally of the recesses and arranged in groups the numbers of which progressively increase from the stem of the hull toward amidship, and from the stern of the hull toward amidship, and means for selectively operating each propeller.

NICHOLAS C. MIMOPOULOS.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Heaton June 9, 1863 Brown May 14, 1878 Andrade July 3, 1900 Fehlman Mar. 10*, 1903 stokes Sept. 27, 1904 Sitzler Feb. 13, 1906 Carroll May 26, 1908 Chase Jan. 14, 1913 Beeson Mar. 24, 1914 Cizek Apr. 6, 1915 Wolcott Sept. 21, 1915 Ambrozy Aug. 8, 1916 Curtiss et a1 Apr. 17, 1917 Corte Oct. 16, 1917 Karton July 22, 1919 Besson Apr. 18, 1922 Wood Jul 21, 1925 Geddes Dec. 27, 1938 

